Who wrote the British national anthem "God Save the Queen"?

lanfranco

A very good question. Apparently, no one really knows, but there are various theories, and the definitive version of the tune seems to date to the mid-18th century: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_Queen Jul 11 07, 8:08 PM

julieanne123

I was just going to say the same thin that Ianfranco wrote--having found the same article! Jul 11 07, 8:13 PM

zbeckabee

"Though usually attributed to Arne, there is good ground for believing it is really the work of Henry Carey, a singer and composer. It is said to have been written sometime between 1736 and 1740, but was first heard in public at a dinner in 1740 to celebrate the taking of Portobello by Admiral Vernon. Carey sang it as his own composition. The oldest copy is in "Harmonia Anglicana" of 1743 to which Carey was one of the chief contributors." http://www.pch.gc.ca/progs/cpsc-ccsp/sc-cs/godsave_e.cfm Jul 11 07, 9:21 PM

Vy_lette

The origin of both the words and the music is obscure. The many candidates for authorship include John Bull (c. 1562–1628), Thomas Ravenscroft (c. 1583–c. 1633), Henry Purcell (c. 1639–95), and Henry Carey (c. 1687–1743) http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037152/God-Save-the-Queen Jul 12 07, 1:35 AM